Public Statements

Crowley, Levin Joint Statement on Bangladeshi Building Collapse

Statement

Today, Reps. Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Sander Levin (D-MI), members of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following statement in response to a building collapse in Bangladesh that housed several garment factories. The collapse is reported to have killed nearly 100 people and injured hundreds more. This tragedy comes on the heels of a deadly fire in the Tazreen Fashions garment factory last November that killed nearly 120 people, and other fires since that time.

"We would like to express our deepest sympathies to the people of Bangladesh. This is an immense tragedy, and our hearts go out the families affected. We appreciate all the first responders and emergency workers who are working to save lives, and express our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who have lost loved ones. Bangladeshis are a wonderful people, and they are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

"This tragedy mandates the need to immediately do more to address safety conditions in Bangladesh's garment sector in a way that helps Bangladeshi workers and respects their rights. We urge that anyone responsible for these deaths be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law."